


And the Truth Will Set You Free

by yet_intrepid



Series: Hurt/Comfort December [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Dysfunctional Family, Gen, High School, Light Angst, Teenchesters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-03
Updated: 2014-12-03
Packaged: 2018-02-28 00:01:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2711540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yet_intrepid/pseuds/yet_intrepid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes school assignments come too close to home. Sam has some trouble with Emerson's essay on respect for elders.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And the Truth Will Set You Free

**Author's Note:**

> December 3 prompt: cages.
> 
> I took this one metaphorically because I've got a lot of similar ones later on.

Emerson is almost cool, Sam decides. Like, he almost gets there. But he doesn’t qualify his statements and so he ends up being just plain wrong.

Or maybe he’s not wrong. Maybe he just sounds too much like Dad, with his argument about listening to older people, and Sam doesn’t want to agree with him.

Still, this isn’t about Dad. This is school, so Sam doesn’t have to agree. He can fight Ralph Waldo Emerson’s _Old Age_ tooth and nail, if he wants, and as long as he does a good job nobody’s going to stop him.

Sam looks over his marked-up photocopy of the essay, scanning it for the quote he needs. It’s the one everything revolves around, the one that made him protest.

_Skill to do comes of doing; knowledge comes by eyes always open, and working hands and there is no knowledge that is not power._

Which is good. Sure. But it doesn’t say that skill to do comes of doing over a long time, or knowledge comes by eyes open and hands working for many years. It just says doing, watching, working.

And Sam can do that. He might be young, but he can do that. He knows lots of other kids in high school, like him, who can do it too. Who can do it as well or better, even, than grown-ups.

But Emerson still wants to say that young people with knowledge are the exception, and as a rule older people are more powerful. And should be.

Everything in Sam kicks back when he hears that. Might be as useless as bare feet against metal bars, but he does.

Because people have skills in different areas. Their open eyes see different ways and their working hands have different strengths. So just because one person has more knowledge in general, doesn’t mean they win about everything. Does it?

Sam scribbles his outline.

_1\. intro – Emerson needs qualifiers_

_2\. variety of experience / expertise_

_3\. benefit of more than one perspective_

_4\. not old vs. young but old AND young (hierarchy unnecessary?)_

_5\. conclusion_

He hesitates. He wants to write it; he really does. But what if he’s wrong? What if Dad’s right, and Emerson’s right, and Sam’s just being selfish and stupid for not listening?

But knowledge comes by working hands, and that’s got to include mistakes. Even if they’re stupid ones, even if Dad hates him for it. Sam can’t bear to not try. It’s too much of a trap, living like this. He’s going wild staring at the world through a cage.

There is no knowledge that is not power, and Sam aims to have as much knowledge as he can. Because the more he knows, the better his chances of kicking through the bars.


End file.
